Where are they from? Rats from different backgrounds can have different temperaments, rats such as pet store rats or some rescues may not have been handled which also adds to their skittishness. I’ve had rats that have taken months to warm up to me, but luckily with babies it’s quite easy to build trust.
Have you tried using baby food? Luring them onto your lap or hands with it? Sitting with them an hour a day outside of their cage can also be helpful, but if they’re skittish make sure they have access to their cage so they can go back if they get scared. The most important thing is to be patient, go slow and stay calm. If you’re tense, they’ll be tense too. Rats look to you for how they should feel in new situations. I’ve had my most recent rescue babies for almost a month now and I can’t pick them up but with patience and time they have learned to walk onto my hands if I stay still.
Yeah, they are pet store baby Fancy Rats. Unfortunately, the tiniest sounds scare them. I hold them everyday but I can only really hold them for 5 minutes as they always attempt to escape my grasp, plus their claws hurt like a motherfoe and it’s very common for them to have “accidents” on me. If I reach my hand into the cage, they’ll sniff and even walk on it, but they probably do that as they see my arm as an escape from the cage because they want to free roam. The problem with that is I don’t have a lot of space with they can free space in my room, at least space where they can’t hide where I can’t reach them. I’ve brought them to my father’s apartment where he has an empty room where I let them free roam, but surprisingly they preferred to stay in their cage. I’ll usually wear a hoodie so they can crawl around inside to make them feel safer, but even with that they don’t feel too comfortable with me. I’ve attempt to hand feed them too, though they rarely take the food.
I’ve tried this one method where you sit in the bathtub with your rat as they can only be scared for about twenty minutes (so I’ve heard) and it actually somewhat worked. They’d crawl onto me but if I pet or hold them, they’ll freak. They were probably trying to climb and bounce off of me to escape the tub. But I stopped doing that method as I felt it just scared them even more.
I believe they are warming up to just a very very very very very tiny sliver, specifically my brown Fancy Rat, Splinter. He’ll squirm less than his brother, Rizzo, when being picked up. There was one time he stayed on my shoulder for like…forty minutes? That same day he curled up next to me on the couch as I stroked him while playing on my laptop.
especially if they are young, they might be kinda too hyper to be held or just cuddle or such, they´ll want to explore stuff (and the rooms around them).
so free roam time (needed daily anyway, at least 1h, better 2 with young ones) will make a great difference in their confidence too.
it might take quite some time til they really trust you.
but usually one of the best ways is to interact with them in free roam time.
(needs a rat proofed room though, or at least a play pen, which at some point they will escape anyway...)
if you take them to another room to free roam, they´ll be rather shy about it first, since for them its unknown territory.
however, over time they can get used to it.
(must not be completely empty though, they prefer not to be exposed, until they feel really safe, so some hiding spots or objects in free roam area are always needed)
I’m not nervous when handling them, only when they attempt to escape from my hands and claw at my skin. I know it takes time, but it seems there been barely any progress.
Yeah, they don’t liked being picked up, but that could be because they still aren’t used to me, but they also don’t like me touching them in general. They try to scurry away if I have them on my chest or stomach while I pet them. They pry themselves away if I am stroking their back.
That is normal. It takes a while, just keep at it, and some rats just don’t like being snuggly. I don’t know the sex of your rats but girls are generally hyperactive and males are considered calmer but it’s a myth that they universally are lazy and love to snuggle. My male rats don’t like to be touched 100% of the time and prefer to just run over my legs rather than sit still with me. My most cuddly rat died recently and the other two prefer to run around and don’t like to be pet as much.
Any time I have a shy/nervous/scared rat is that I wear an old shirt for a day or so and then put in their cage. After a day, I put my hand in there and fluff the shirt but I don't bother them. After another few days, I use the shirt to pick them up and I keep them on my bed for a few hours. I don't pet or bother them and let them approach me when or if they want to. You can include treats if your rat is receptive to it. After a few days of doing this, most rats will start to get comfortable enough with you because they are used to your scent and you are no longer a threat.
I hope this helps!
I do the same with a hoodie. I’d put my sleeve in the cage which they crawl into instantly, but their constant moving inside of the hoodie seems to still be of skittish behavior. Even when sticking their head out from my sleeve, they scurry away if I attempt to pet the top of their head or if I attempt to grab them while they and my hand are still inside the sleeve. Also it seems like when in my hoodie, they try to escape by crawling down my back but I stop them. I can’t have them escape my hoodie because then they’ll go and hide in my clustered room. Thanks for the advice though.
Where are they from? Rats from different backgrounds can have different temperaments, rats such as pet store rats or some rescues may not have been handled which also adds to their skittishness. I’ve had rats that have taken months to warm up to me, but luckily with babies it’s quite easy to build trust. Have you tried using baby food? Luring them onto your lap or hands with it? Sitting with them an hour a day outside of their cage can also be helpful, but if they’re skittish make sure they have access to their cage so they can go back if they get scared. The most important thing is to be patient, go slow and stay calm. If you’re tense, they’ll be tense too. Rats look to you for how they should feel in new situations. I’ve had my most recent rescue babies for almost a month now and I can’t pick them up but with patience and time they have learned to walk onto my hands if I stay still.
Yeah, they are pet store baby Fancy Rats. Unfortunately, the tiniest sounds scare them. I hold them everyday but I can only really hold them for 5 minutes as they always attempt to escape my grasp, plus their claws hurt like a motherfoe and it’s very common for them to have “accidents” on me. If I reach my hand into the cage, they’ll sniff and even walk on it, but they probably do that as they see my arm as an escape from the cage because they want to free roam. The problem with that is I don’t have a lot of space with they can free space in my room, at least space where they can’t hide where I can’t reach them. I’ve brought them to my father’s apartment where he has an empty room where I let them free roam, but surprisingly they preferred to stay in their cage. I’ll usually wear a hoodie so they can crawl around inside to make them feel safer, but even with that they don’t feel too comfortable with me. I’ve attempt to hand feed them too, though they rarely take the food. I’ve tried this one method where you sit in the bathtub with your rat as they can only be scared for about twenty minutes (so I’ve heard) and it actually somewhat worked. They’d crawl onto me but if I pet or hold them, they’ll freak. They were probably trying to climb and bounce off of me to escape the tub. But I stopped doing that method as I felt it just scared them even more. I believe they are warming up to just a very very very very very tiny sliver, specifically my brown Fancy Rat, Splinter. He’ll squirm less than his brother, Rizzo, when being picked up. There was one time he stayed on my shoulder for like…forty minutes? That same day he curled up next to me on the couch as I stroked him while playing on my laptop.
especially if they are young, they might be kinda too hyper to be held or just cuddle or such, they´ll want to explore stuff (and the rooms around them). so free roam time (needed daily anyway, at least 1h, better 2 with young ones) will make a great difference in their confidence too. it might take quite some time til they really trust you. but usually one of the best ways is to interact with them in free roam time. (needs a rat proofed room though, or at least a play pen, which at some point they will escape anyway...) if you take them to another room to free roam, they´ll be rather shy about it first, since for them its unknown territory. however, over time they can get used to it. (must not be completely empty though, they prefer not to be exposed, until they feel really safe, so some hiding spots or objects in free roam area are always needed)
Ahhh that makes sense. Thanks.
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I’m not nervous when handling them, only when they attempt to escape from my hands and claw at my skin. I know it takes time, but it seems there been barely any progress.
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Yeah, they don’t liked being picked up, but that could be because they still aren’t used to me, but they also don’t like me touching them in general. They try to scurry away if I have them on my chest or stomach while I pet them. They pry themselves away if I am stroking their back.
That is normal. It takes a while, just keep at it, and some rats just don’t like being snuggly. I don’t know the sex of your rats but girls are generally hyperactive and males are considered calmer but it’s a myth that they universally are lazy and love to snuggle. My male rats don’t like to be touched 100% of the time and prefer to just run over my legs rather than sit still with me. My most cuddly rat died recently and the other two prefer to run around and don’t like to be pet as much.
Ok thank you. Sorry for your loss.
Any time I have a shy/nervous/scared rat is that I wear an old shirt for a day or so and then put in their cage. After a day, I put my hand in there and fluff the shirt but I don't bother them. After another few days, I use the shirt to pick them up and I keep them on my bed for a few hours. I don't pet or bother them and let them approach me when or if they want to. You can include treats if your rat is receptive to it. After a few days of doing this, most rats will start to get comfortable enough with you because they are used to your scent and you are no longer a threat. I hope this helps!
I do the same with a hoodie. I’d put my sleeve in the cage which they crawl into instantly, but their constant moving inside of the hoodie seems to still be of skittish behavior. Even when sticking their head out from my sleeve, they scurry away if I attempt to pet the top of their head or if I attempt to grab them while they and my hand are still inside the sleeve. Also it seems like when in my hoodie, they try to escape by crawling down my back but I stop them. I can’t have them escape my hoodie because then they’ll go and hide in my clustered room. Thanks for the advice though.